Rope climbing device

ABSTRACT

A rope climbing device comprising a frame member adapted to be attached to a climber&#39;&#39;s legs, rope-griping means connected to said frame member to engage said frame to said rope in a locking relationship, toe operable means to engage or disengage said rope-gripping means from said rope to enable said climber to ascend or descend the rope.

United States Patent 1191 OKeefe [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 i [54] ROPE CLIMBING DEVICE 1,895,571 1 1933 Hein ..182 134 [76] Inventor: Dennis G. OKeef e, 20450 Acre SL, FOREIGN PATENTS ORVAPPLICATIONS Canoga Park, Cal1f. 66,801 l0/l9l4 Austria ..l82/l35 [22] F1le1-.l: May 10, 1971 [211 App. 141,488 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado 1 Attorney-Julian J. Schamus and Richard L. Mikesell 521 US. (:1 ..182/l34, 182/221 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..A63b 27/00 1 581 Field of Search ..l82/l34, 135 136 133 192 A frame 1 1 adapted to be attached to a cl1mbers legs, rope-griping means connected to said frame member to engage said frame to said rope in a locking relationship, toe [56] Reerences Cited operable means to engage or disengage said rope- UNITED STATES PATENTS gripping means from said rope to enable said climber to ascend or descend the rope. 1,982,482 11/1934 Rhodes ..I82/l33 1,574,529 2/1926 Abraham 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures APM ms 13,724,593

l8 Q I I 2| FIG 5 INVENTOR.

DENNISGO'KEEFE BY m M ATTORNEY ROPE CLIMBING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rope climbing devices of various sizes and shapes have been known in the prior art.

A typical rope climbing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,505,360. This device discloses a rope climbing mechanism that is strapped to the legs of a climber. The rope-gripping mechanism on the support structure is located on the instep of the climber. A pair of cammed gripping mechanisms are positioned at the bottom of the support structure which accepts a rope in an unrestrained position. The inside faces of the two gripping mechanism are serrated so as to engage firmly the surface of the rope. Downward force of the rope between the two inwardly facing cams causes the cams to swing inwardly, thus gripping the rope between the serrated surfaces. To release the cams, the climber must lift his leg while supporting his weight on the other climbing mechanism to release the cam surfaces from the rope. The invention sets forth means to shake" or oscillate the cam mechanisms, causing them to lose their grip on the rope. This device is particularly disadvantaged when a climber must descend a rope. It can be seen that when a climber lowers one leg and grips the rope with the gripping mechanism, he must then lift the leg that is higher on the rope to release its grip on the rope. Thus, it can be seen that it is extremely awkward and tiring to raise even higher the leg that is above the weight supporting leg while descending the rope.

The aforementioned patent has its gripping mechanism positioned so that all of the weight is disapportionately distributed on the climbers ankle resulting in high stress on the ankle and a furtherdrain on the climbers energy.

Another patent which uses a hand method to ascend or descend a rope is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 733,458. This patent discloses a means whereby a cam lever is utilized on only one side of a rope. The other side is a restraining member which, when the cam lever is actuated, traps a rope between the cam surface and the supporting inside surface of the structure. Release of the cam allows the device to he slipped up or down a rope or cable. This climbing device is also disadvantaged in that the mechanism must be lifted up in order to release the pressure on the rope caused by the cam so that the climber may descend. This is an awkward method to descend a rope or the like.

Another disadvantage of the prior art devices is the non-positive release mechanism required to release the rope in the event the climber wants to ascend or descend a rope or cable. The first patent discussed, No. 1,505,360, requires that the gripping mechanisms be not only raised but shaken or oscillated to urge the gripping cams to swivel outwardly to disengage the rope. The gripping mechanism of the U.S. Pat. No. 733,458 patent is equally difficult to manipulate in that the mechanism must be raised to disengage the cammed surface from the side of the rope. Of course, as a practical matter, the more weight the gripping devices of the prior art must bear, the harder the devices are to actuate.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rope climbing device with a positive method of gripping and releasing a rope or a cable.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rope climbing or descending device which distributes the stress of the climber onto the climbers leg.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ropegripping means which does not contain point contact with the .tope, but distributes the contact area so as to prevent or minimize damage to the rope, and which bends the rope upon contact.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a rope climbing or descending device which is actuatable by the toe of a climber to positively grip or release a rope at the will of the climber without the necessity of raising the climbers leg to disengage the gripping mechanism from the rope, thereby providing an easy, positive method for a climber to either ascend or descend a rope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objects of this invention are, in general, accomplished by a rope climbing device comprising a frame member adapted to be attached to a climbers legs, rope-gripping means connected to said frame member to engage said frame to said rope in a locking relationship, toe operable means to engage or disengage said rope-gripping means from said rope to enable said climber to ascend or descend the rope. Thus, the present invention is a ropeclimbing apparatus which is actuatable by the toe of the climber. A pair of ropeclimbing mechanisms are attached to the legs of the climber with the gripping devices of the mechanism being on the instep side of each leg of the climber. The

rope climbing devices are positioned on the upper part of each of the rope-climbing apparatus so as to better distribute the weight of the climber on the rope, thus providing for a more comfortable climbing attitude regardless of whether the climber is ascending or descending the rope. The rope is then suspended between the legs of the climber. The rope-gripping mechanism consists of a pair of swivelable earns, the inner surfaces of the cams being grooved and serrated to grip the rope. One of the cams is caused to open when the toe of the climber is raised, the top portion being linked to a lever on the cam by a rod to cause the cam to swing away from the rope, thus releasing the grip of the cams on the rope, allowing the climber to move up or down the suspended rope. The climber then moves his free leg with its attendant climbing apparatus over the rope in an engaging relationship therewith in the higher or lower position and subsequently forces his toe downwardly, which pivots one of the cams of the gripping mechanisms inwardly, which firmly and positively grips the rope. The climber then is able to shift all of his weight on the leg gripping the rope, allowing the other weight-bearing leg to be moved to another position after the toe is raised, releasing the rope.

An advantage over the prior art is the method in which the rope is released allowing the climber either to ascend or descend the rope or cable. The prior art devices do not have the positive method to release the gripping device from the rope.

Another advantage over the prior art is the better distribution of the weight of the climber on the rope, i.e., the attachment point of the gripping mechanism of the present invention is between the ankle and the knee, while all of the prior art devices shift all of the weight of the climber on the foot, consequently resulting in an uneven weight distribution on the rope.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above noted objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood upon a study of the following detailed description in conjunction with the detailed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a climber ascending or descending a rope with the apparatus of the present invention being attached to his legs;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the mechanisms being attached to the leg of a climber illustrating the various components associated with the device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the adjustable bottom strap saddle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the upper gripping mechanism with one of the cams shown in the opened position;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of FIG. 2 illustrating the bottom strap and toe strap system and the interconnecting levers that release the gripping portion of the device;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the upper housing, cams, lever mechanism and the buckled leg band.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a climber wearing an ordinary pair of climbers boots 10 attaches the climbing device generally designated as 12 to each of his legs and 17. The gripping portion 26 of the climbing device 12 is attached to the upper structure and the climbing device is then strapped on the climbers instep side of his leg. To ascend or descend a rope 13, the climber engages the gripping mechanism 26 to the rope 13 and depresses the toe 11 of his boot 10 downwardly which firmly engages the gripping mechanism 26 with the rope 13. The climber then puts all of his weight on the leg 15 that is firmly engaged with the rope, while the free leg 17 either advances either upwardly of downwardly, on the rope. For example, if the climber is ascending, the free leg 17 is passed over leg 15, supporting all of the climbers weight. Leg 17 is then engaged with the rope. The climber then presses the toe 11 of leg 17 dowardly, thus engaging gripping mechanism 26 firmly with the rope so that the leg 15 bearing the weight can now be released from the rope. The weight now being on leg 17, leg 15 is free to relocate above leg 17, and so on.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rope-gripping or climbing device 12 consists of a main support bracket 14 which terminates in a U-shaped stirrup bar 18 which is designed to fit to a climbers boot 10 between the heel 9 and the toe 11. The strap may be adjustable by a slide mechanism 21 to conform to a particular foot size, as depicted in FIG. 3. The end of the U-shaped stirrup bar 18 is turned upwardly and a slot 19 is positioned therein. Connected to the upper portion of the support bracket 14 is a main strap 16, for example, fabricated for example from leather or some other suitable material, which is designed to encircle the climbers leg, firmly attaching the support bracket upper portion to the leg of the climber. Opposite the leather strap is a box like frame member or housing 24 which supports being attached to the support bracket 14 by attachment means 25, while the other side of the box is opened at 28 so that the rope 13 can be passed to the inside of the box frame containing the gripping mechanism 26. Within the frame 24 is a first cam member 30, concave in cross section, which is connected and pivotable about a fixed pivot bearing 38, the bearing being supported by the frame or housing 24. The concave cam 30 has a longitudinally extending groove 32 along its cam surface which is serrated 34 and designed to engage one side of the rope 13. Juxtaposed to the first cam 30, is a second cam, convex in shape, 40, which is pivotable about a fixed pivot bearing 46, which is attached to the other side of the housing 24. A longitudinal groove 42, similar to groove 32, is cut into the convex cam surface of cam '40, the groove having serrations 43 so as to engage the opposite side of the rope 13. Thus it can be seen that the two cams 30 and 40, when contacted with the rope, firmly engage the rope therebetween. A pair of lever arms 48 extend from the opposite side of the cam 40 which supports pivot pin 50 located near the extremity of the lever arms 48. The cam 30 neednot be pivotal, and may be integral with the frame 24. It is preferred that the opening 28 be arranged so that when the rope 13 is engaged by the cams 30 and 40, the engaged portion of the rope is forced away from the opening 28 in the frame member or housing 24 so that the inside surface of the housing form a guard against accidental slippage of the rope.

At the bottom of the support bracket 14 is the U- shaped stirrup bar 18. A cross-link arm 60 is pivotally connected to the bottom of the support bracket 14 on the instep side of the stirrup at pivot pin 62,. At the opposite end of the cross-linking connecting rod 60 is another pivot pin 63 that pivotably connects to a U- shaped toe bar 64, the upwardly extending arms of the U forming a pair of slots 68 designed to accept a leather strip 70 to firmly engage the toe 11 of the boot 10 onto the toe bar 64. Thus it can be seen that the moveable horizontal connecting link 60 between the stirrup 18 and the toe bar 64 allows the toe to move independent of the relatively fixed stirrup 18. A second vertically oriented rod 72 links the toe bar 64 with the lever arms 48 of cam 40 between pivots 74 and 50. The upper part of the vertical actuating rod 72 makes a right angle turn at juncture 73 and the end of the right angle terminates in an aperture 75, which is connectable to the pivot pin 50 spanning levers 48 of cam 40, thus a connecting link is effectuated between the actuatable cam 40 and the toe bar 68. Since the pivot pin 50 is a predetermined distance between the fixed pivot bearing 46 of cam 40, it can be seen that actuation of the vertical rod 72 a distance D (FIG. 4) by upward or downward motion of the toe 11 of boot 10 moves the convex cam in an are into or away from engagement with the rope 13. Thus, a downward movement of the vertical actuating rod 72 causes the lever arm to move downwardly, which moves the cam 40 into a locking engagement with rope 13 which firmly locks the rope between cams 30 and 40 of the gripping mechanism 26 as long as the toe pressure is in a downward direction relative to the stirrup 18. Cam 30, being free to rotate on its pivot pin 38, conforms easily to the shape of the convex cam 40, thus the rope naturally finds its seat within the two gripping members 30 and 40. Upward motion of toe 11 causes the vertical actuating arm 72 to pivot the convex cam 40 away from a locking engagement with cam 30, thus releasing the grip of the two cams with the rope, allowing the climber to disengage the gripping mechanism 26 from the rope.

Turning to FIG. 5, the front view illustrates the toe ll of boot [0 engaged with toe bar 64 and stirrup bar 18. This view shows how the toe actuates the lever arm 48 of cam 40 to cause the cam to rotate into or away from engagement with rope 13. The U-shaped toe bar 64, as heretofore described, has a pair of slots 68 which allows the climber to strap the toe of the boot firmly to the toe bar 64 by, for example, a leather'strap 70. The U-shaped stirrup bar 18 has, at its outward extremity, a similar slot 19 which enables the climber to attach a secondary strap 20 that the climbers boot is firmly attached within the stirrup bar 18. The upper part of the stirrup strap is attached to a loop-type attachment ring 22'which is an integral part of the main strap 16 so that the climber can tie the strap 20 through loop 22, thereby securing the boot within the stirrup. The main strap 16 slides into a loop 90 formed in the upper part of support bracket 14. The loop is secured to bracket 14 by rivets or bolts 92 midway down the support arm. 7

FIG. 6 is a perspective view further clarifying the interrelationship of the various components of the ropegripping mechanism 26. The main leg strap 16 in loop 90 may be an adjustable metal band connected to bracket 14, or the boot could be fabricated in such a manner to integrate the climbing device into the boot.

It should 'be pointed out here that the climbing mechanism hereinabove described can work just as effectively on certain types of steel cables, etc., and other kinds of gripping surfaces could be formed into the convex and concave cam gripping devices without departing from the intent of this invention.

Iclaim:

1. A rope climbing device comprising;

a frame member adapted to be attached to climbers legs, said frame member and its contained ropegripping means being positioned between the climbers foot and his knee so as to better distribute the climbers weight on the rope,

rope-gripping means connected to said frame member to engage said frame to said rope in a locking relationship,

toe operable means to engage or disengage said ropegripping means from said rope to enable said climber to ascend or descend the rope, and

a bracket aligned parallel with the climber? leg and attached to said frame member, said bracket having abase portion adapted to engage a climbers boot forward of the heel thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said toe operable means includes a vertically extending lever arm having a toe engaging cross bar.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said toe operable means includes a vertically extending lever arm having a toe engaging cross bar. I

4. The eylce in claim 3 wherein sald toe engaging cross bar is pivotably connected to the base portion of said bracket by a generallyhorizontally disposed crosslink arm, said toe engaging cross bar being capable of independent movement with respect to said bracket by the toe of said climber.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame member is comprised of a box-like structure having an opening formed in one side of the box, said opening enabling the rope to pass within the interior of said box, said frame confining said rope-gripping means therein.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rope-gripping means is a pair of oppositely opposed cam members having inwardly facing, rope-gripping means on each of said cam members adapted to swivel on a pair of pivot pins supported by said frame member, wherein at least one of said cam members has a lever arm extending from the cams opposite said rope-gripping means, said lever arm being adapted to manipulate said cam into and away from a locking engagement with said rope by said toe operable means by the toe of said climber.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6, wherein one of said inwardly facing rope-gripping surfaces on said cam means is concave and the other oppositely facing rope-gripping surface on the other of said cam means is convex, said convex surface generally conforming to the shape of said concave surface.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said inwardly facing rope-gripping surfaces on said cams further includes longitudinally extending, inwardly facing grooves in each of said surfaces, said grooves having a multiplicity of serrations protruding therefrom to grip the surface of the rope, said rope generally conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said grooves when said cams are in locking engagement with said rope. 

1. A rope climbing device comprising; a frame member adapted to be attached to climber''s legs, said frame member and its contained rope-gripping means being positioned between the climber''s foot and his knee so as to better distribute the climber''s weight on the rope, rope-gripping means connected to said frame member to engage said frame to said rope in a locking relationship, toe operable means to engage or disengage said rope-gripping means from said rope to enable said climber to ascend or descend the rope, and a bracket aligned parallel with the climber''P leg and attached to said frame member, said bracket having a base portion adapted to engage a climber''s boot forward of the heel thereof.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said toe operable means includes a vertically extending lever arm having a toe engaging cross bar.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said toe operable means includes a vertically extending lever arm having a toe engaging cross bar.
 4. The device in claim 3 wherein said toe engaging cross bar is pivotably connected to the base portion of said bracket by a generally horizontally disposed cross-link arm, said toe engaging cross bar being capable of independent movement with respect to said bracket by the toe of said climber.
 5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said frame member is comprised of a box-like structure having an opening formed in one side of the box, said opening enabling the rope to pass within the interior of said box, said frame confining said rope-gripping means therein.
 6. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rope-gripping means is a pair of oppositely opposed cam members having inwardly facing, rope-gripping means on each of said cam members adapted to swivel on a pair of pivot pins supported by said frame member, wherein at least one of said cam members has a lever arm extending from the cams opposite said rope-gripping means, said lever arm being adapted to manipulate said cam into and away from a locking engagement with said rope by said toe operable means by the toe of said climber.
 7. The invention as set forth in claim 6, wherein one of said inwardly facing rope-gripping surfaces on said cam means is concave and the other oppositely facing rope-gripping surface on the other of said cam means is convex, said convex surface generally conforming to the shape of said concave surface.
 8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said inwardly facing rope-gripping surfaces on said cams further includes longitudinally extending, inwardly facing grooves in each of said surfaces, said grooves having a multiplicity of serrations protruding therefrom to grip the surface of the rope, said rope generally conforming to the cross-sectional shape of said grooves when said cams are in locking engagement with said rope. 